The Governor of La Rioja, Ricardo Quinteladecreed the suspension of the permits granted for prospecting, prospecting and exploration of lithium in the province, based on the provisions of Provincial Law No. 10,608, which considers this mineral as a strategic resource and of public interest.
Decree 63-23, published in the Official Gazette of the province, in one of its articles it establishes that “the search, prospecting and exploration permits that have been granted by the mining authority in the areas of interest will expire due to the provisions of Article 4 of Law No. 10,608″.
In the recitals, the norm maintains that “it is a duty of the province to investigate the availability of this resource that, if it exists with commercial characteristics, is incorporated from a sustainable and sustainable vision as public policy of the State”.
In the same sense, he established that “we are in the presence of a scarce, non-renewable, irreplaceable mineral, essential for the energy transition”.
The Provincial Law 10,608 promulgated in the first weeks of last January established that the study, prospecting, exploration, exploitation and industrialization of lithium and its derivatives and the addition of value to the products obtained will be considered as “a strategic natural resource” and of “provincial public interest”.
On that occasion, in radio statements, Quintela said that “the province is in a position to carry out the exploration and then it will invite all the companies that want to invest, but whenever it suits the people of La Rioja, La Rioja, the country and the companies too”.
Tailored reviews
Faced with this, different business chambers They came out -also in the first weeks of January- accriticize the decision of the La Rioja government.
The Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) said that “the promulgation of this law is in the sense opposite to the opportunities that Argentina has andin matters of energy transition, federal development, creation of registered employment and generation of foreign currency from exports”.
For her part, the Argentine Chamber of Mining Entrepreneurs (CAEM) considered “essential to act coherently and respect the current legal framework, which is what allows mining investment in Argentina, to generate socioeconomic development in all regions and contribute to the energy transition.”
Lastly, the Argentine Chamber of Construction (Camarco) stated that “the development of any industry, for the existing work and for possible investments, should be encouraged from the rI respect the current legal framework”and under “adequate conditions to achieve a correct and productive development”.
